USGS:Biology Biological Informatics Program Vegetation Characterization Program Badlands National Park Accuracy Assessment Metadata

Accuracy Assessment Metadata

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Metadata:

• Identification_Information
• Data_Quality_Information
• Spatial_Data_Organization_Information
• Spatial_Reference_Information
• Entity_and_Attribute_Information
• Distribution_Information
• Metadata_Reference_Information

Identification_Information:

Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator:

Remote Sensing and GIS Group, Technical Service Center, US Bureau of Reclamation, Mail Code D-8260, POB 25007, Denver CO 80225

Publication_Date: 1999

Title: Badlands National Park Accuracy Assessment Data

Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: Table

Series_Information:

Series_Name: USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program

Issue_Identification: Badlands National Park

Publication_Information:

Publication_Place: Denver, CO

Publisher: USGS-BRD

Other_Citation_Details: Created under contract to the USGS-BRD-CBI

Online_Linkage:

<http://biology.usgs.gov/npsveg/badl/index.html>

Description:

Abstract:

This metadata is for the accuracy assessment data associated with the vegetation land cover and land use geospatial database for Badlands National Park and surrounding areas. The project is authorized as part of the USGS/NPS Vegetation Mapping Program <http://biology.usgs.gov/npsveg>. The program is being administered by the Biological Resources Division (BRD) of the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The USGS/BRD is responsible for overall management and oversight of all ongoing mapping efforts. This mapping effort was performed by the US Bureau of Reclamation's (USBR) Remote Sensing and GIS Group, Technical Service Center, Denver, CO. The vegetation mapping program is part of a larger Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) program started by the National Park Service (NPS) Their website is : <http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/index.cfm>

Purpose:

The purposes of the mapping effort are varied and include the following: Provides support for NPS Resources Management; Promotes vegetation-related research for both NPS and USGS/BRD; Provides support for NPS Planning and Compliance; Adds to the information base for NPS Interpretation; and Assists in NPS Operations. The NPS I&M goals are, among others, to map the vegetation of all national parks and monuments and provide a baseline inventory of vegetation.

Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Single_Date/Time:

Calendar_Date: 199808

Currentness_Reference:

From the USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program Badlands National Park, South Dakota Procedure Report, November 19, 1999. See: <http://biology.usgs.gov/npsveg/badl/badlrpt.pdf#aamethod>

Status:

Progress: Complete

Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: None Planned

Spatial_Domain:

Bounding_Coordinates:

West_Bounding_Coordinate: -102.943

East_Bounding_Coordinate: -101.817

North_Bounding_Coordinate: 44

South_Bounding_Coordinate: 43.432

Description_of_Geographic_Extent:

Badlands National Park, SD including approx 5 mile buffer around park which includes private lands, portions of Buffalo Gap National Grassland, and Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

Keywords:

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: None

Theme_Keyword: Land cover

Theme_Keyword: Land use

Theme_Keyword: Vegetation

Theme_Keyword: National Park Service

Theme_Keyword: Accuracy Assessment

Place:

Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: None

Place_Keyword: South Dakota

Place_Keyword: Badlands National Park

Place_Keyword: Pine Ridge Indian Reservation

Place_Keyword: Red Shirt

Place_Keyword: Scenic

Place_Keyword: Cheyenne River

Place_Keyword: Buffalo Gap National Grassland

Place_Keyword: Badlands Wilderness Area

Place_Keyword: White River

Place_Keyword: Interior

Access_Constraints: None

Use_Constraints:

Acknowledgment of the USGS/BRD, National Park Service, and the USBR/RSGIS Group would be appreciated in products derived from these data. Any person using the information presented here should fully understand the data collection and compilation procedures, as described in the metadata, before beginning analysis. The burden for determining fitness for use lies entirely with the user.

Point_of_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Person_Primary:

Contact_Person: USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program Coordinator

Contact_Organization: Center for Biological Informatics, USGS-BRD

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: Mailing Address

Address: PO Box 25046, MS-302

City: Denver

State_or_Province: Colorado

Postal_Code: 80225

Contact_Voice_Telephone: (303) 202-4220

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 303-202-4229

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 303-202-4219 (org)

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: gs-b-npsveg@usgs.gov

Browse_Graphic:

Browse_Graphic_File_Name: <http://biology.usgs.gov/npsveg/badl/images/badlaa.pdf>

Browse_Graphic_File_Description: 450 Kbyte

Browse_Graphic_File_Type: PDF

Data_Set_Credit:

Dan Cogan, Doug Crawford, Trudy Meyer, Jean Pennell & Jim Von Loh with RSGIS Group of USBR; Jim Drake of TNC; Bruce Bessken and Glenn Plumb of Badlands NP, NPS

Native_Data_Set_Environment: Microsoft Excel

Taxonomy:

Keywords/Taxon:

Taxonomic_Keyword_Thesaurus: None

Taxonomic_Keywords: Plants

Taxonomic_Keywords: Vegetation

Taxonomic_Keywords: National Vegetation Classification System

Taxonomic_Classification:

Taxon_Rank_Name: Kingdom

Taxon_Rank_Value: Plantae

Applicable_Common_Name: Plant

Taxonomic_Classification:

Taxon_Rank_Name: Division-Phylum

Taxon_Rank_Value: Tracheophyta

Taxonomic_Classification:

Taxon_Rank_Name: Class

Taxon_Rank_Value: Angiospermai

Taxonomic_Classification:

Taxon_Rank_Name: Class

Taxon_Rank_Value: Gymnospermae

Data_Quality_Information:

Attribute_Accuracy:

Attribute_Accuracy_Report:

Overall, initial accuracy of the vegetation map is 80.6% for all vegetation classes and the Kappa Index is 78.2%. Results for each vegetation class are discussed here, and recommendations are made relative to creating a more accurate vegetation map, as desired.

The specific results are presented in Tables 5 and 6 in the "USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program, Badlands National Park, South Dakota Methodology Report" <http://biology.usgs.gov/npsveg/badl/badlrpt.pdf#aaresult>. In general, the percentage of the Park that an individual map class covered is reflected in the number of AA points collected for that type. For example, map class 16-19 (Western Wheatgrass Alliance / Western Wheatgrass - Green Needlegrass Grassland) covers approximately 38% of the Park, and is represented by 29% of the AA points, and map Class 1 (Prairie Dog Town Complex) occupies approximately 2% of the Park and is represented by 3% of the AA points. An exception for this is map class 2 (Badlands Sparse Vegetation Complex), which covers approximately 46% of the Park but is represented by only 14% of the AA points.

Two rare shrub classes were either not assessed or lightly assessed, due to their lack of abundance within the Park. These include map class 33 (Rabbitbrush Shrubland), which was not assessed and map class 38 (Sandbar Willow Temporarily Flooded Shrubland), which had one AA point but the polygon was attributed with a land use type; map class 56 (intermittent stream).

Logical_Consistency_Report: Unknown

Completeness_Report:

AA data, including limited habitat and vegetation data, was recorded on field forms to document the classification decision made by the investigator. This form was modified and expanded from previous forms to include fields for additional community types found within 50 meters of the actual assessment point. Modifications were made to help accommodate several types of difficult situations, such as AA points located in small inclusions, heterogeneous polygons/stands, and GPS PLGR error.

465 AA data points were collected during August 1998. The weather at this time was unusually warm and vegetation readily identifiable unless heavily grazed. In the Park's North Unit, an extremely heavy growth of yellow sweetclover was present over most grassland and shrub communities. While noted during the AA sampling, very little yellow sweetclover was present during the previous year (1997), the year of aerial photography acquisition and interpretation. AA points were collected in proportion to the size of the plant association/ map class within the Park; e.g. more points were collected within extensive types.

All accuracy data points were entered into a digital coverage and overlayed electronically onto final vegetation maps (by DOQQ).

Positional_Accuracy:

Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy:

Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Report:

The UTM coordinates and elevation of all plots were logged using a hand-held Precision Lightweight Global Positioning System (GPS) Receiver (PLGR) unit.

Lineage:

Process_Step:

Process_Description:

Accuracy assessment of the BADL project area was conducted in September 1999. This involved entering all accuracy data points into a digital coverage and overlaying these electronically onto final vegetation maps (by DOQQ). AA identification numbers plotted alongside each point allowed for comparison with accuracy assessment data forms. A contingency table was set up to record the reference data (collected in the field) versus the sample data (vegetation map) for each map unit.

Errors of commission (i.e. user's errors) for each class were calculated by dividing the number of correctly classified samples by the total number of samples that were classified as belonging to that map class. Errors of omission (i.e. producer's errors) for each class were calculated by dividing the number of samples that were classified correctly by the total number of reference samples in that class. Confidence intervals for each map class were calculated using one of the methods shown in Table 2 (USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping, Badlands National Park, South Dakota, Methodology Report) depending on the normality and size of the data.

Overall total accuracy for BADL was calculated across all sampled map classes by dividing the number of correctly classified accuracy points by the total number of accuracy points. Confidence intervals for overall total accuracy were calculated using the equation for normally distributed data (see above). A Kappa Index (Foody 1992) was used to help account for any correct classification due to chance.

A total of 458 accuracy assessment points were used to assess the accuracy of the BADL vegetation map by:

using AA points collected during the summer of 1998 (front-loading method);

entering AA point coordinates into an electronic format to overlay on the vegetation map;

comparing map vegetation classification (transferred from photo interpretation) with field assessment of vegetation type to determine errors of omission and commission;

resolving questions by referring to original data forms, so that Dr. Butler could make the final determination; recording all information on the AA matrix.

Overall, initial accuracy of the vegetation map is 80.6% for all vegetation classes and the Kappa Index is 78.2%. Results for each vegetation class are discussed here, and recommendations are made relative to creating a more accurate vegetation map, as desired.

The specific results are presented in Tables 5 and 6 below. In general, the percentage of the Park that an individual map class covered is reflected in the number of AA points collected for that type. For example, map class 16-19 (Western Wheatgrass Alliance / Western Wheatgrass - Green Needlegrass Grassland) covers approximately 38% of the Park, and is represented by 29% of the AA points, and map Class 1 (Prairie Dog Town Complex) occupies approximately 2% of the Park and is represented by 3% of the AA points. An exception for this is map class 2 (Badlands Sparse Vegetation Complex), which covers approximately 46% of the Park but is represented by only 14% of the AA points.

Two rare shrub classes were either not assessed or lightly assessed, due to their lack of abundance within the Park. These include map class 33 (Rabbitbrush Shrubland), which was not assessed and map class 38 (Sandbar Willow Temporarily Flooded Shrubland), which had one AA point but the polygon was attributed with a land use type; map class 56 (intermittent stream).

Process_Date: 199909

Methodology:

Methodology_Type: Field

Methodology_Identifier:

Methodology_Keyword_Thesaurus: None

Methodology_Keyword: front-loading

Methodology_Keyword: Kappa Index

Methodology_Description:

The accuracy assessment (AA) for the BADL vegetation mapping project consisted of preliminary planning and discussion, logistical planning, fieldwork, analysis of fieldwork, and computation of final results. Preliminary planning involved BOR/RSGIG and Dr. Jack Butler (a plant ecologist contracted to collect the field AA data). Following detailed discussion, a modified accuracy assessment procedure dubbed "front-loading" (Owens 1998) was selected using protocols outlined in the Accuracy Assessment Procedures (TNC 1994).

The following guidelines for the AA procedure were adopted at this time:

Observations of vegetation classes were to be ground-based.

Ground sampling techniques were to be similar to the Observation Points collected during initial classification.

The number of samples per plant association/map class would vary depending on abundance of the class upon the landscape.

No maximum number of points was assigned so that the Park could be sampled as completely as possible.

Logistical planning for the AA revolved around coordination of work schedules and finding reasonable work areas within the Park. Collection of AA points was confined to within Park boundaries but not limited to the previously described gradsects. Instead, AA's were based on availability of access and to a lesser extent, time constraints. The actual assessment was begun prior to completion of preliminary vegetation maps for the Park, thus the need for the front-loading of the sample points. Selecting random AA sampling sites beforehand was deemed unnecessary due to familiarity of the principal researcher with vegetation types and distribution at BADL. The final point chosen for assessment was selected to be as representative as possible of the vegetation in the immediate area, well away from stand boundaries, and in a stand larger than the minimum mapping unit (exceptions were made for wetland and some shrub classes which rarely exceeded 0.5 hectares in size). Field ecologists were supplied with a vegetation key, to be used to determine plant associations/map classes entered on field forms.

AA data, including limited habitat and vegetation data, was recorded on field forms to document the classification decision made by the investigator. This form was modified and expanded from previous forms to include fields for additional community types found within 50 meters of the actual assessment point. Modifications were made to help accommodate several types of difficult situations, such as AA points located in small inclusions, heterogeneous polygons/stands, and GPS PLGR error.

465 AA data points were collected during August 1998. The weather at this time was unusually warm and vegetation readily identifiable unless heavily grazed. In the Park's North Unit, an extremely heavy growth of yellow sweetclover was present over most grassland and shrub communities. While noted during the AA sampling, very little yellow sweetclover was present during the previous year (1997), the year of aerial photography acquisition and interpretation. AA points were collected in proportion to the size of the plant association/ map class within the Park; e.g. more points were collected within extensive types.

Methodology_Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator:

Mirjam Stadelmann* Anthony Curtis* Randy Vaughan* Marian Bailey Charles Convis Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI) 380 New York Street Redlands, CA 92373

Michael Goodchild* Frank Davis National Center for Geographic Information Analysis 3510 Phelps Hall University of California at Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 93106

Xiaojun Li Kathy Goodin Dennis Grossman The Nature Conservancy 1815 North Lynn Street Arlington, VA 22207

Publication_Date: 199411

Title:

Accuracy Assessment Procedures, NBS/NPS Vegetation Mapping Program

Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: Report

Publication_Information:

Publication_Place: Denver, Colorado

Publisher: USGS-BRD, Center for Biological Informatics

Other_Citation_Details:

Prepared for:

United States Department of Interior National Biological Survey and National Park Service

Prepared by:

Environmental Systems Research Institute 380 New York Street Redlands, California 92373

National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis University of California 3510 Phelps Hall Santa Barbara, California 93106

The Nature Conservancy 1815 N. Lynn Street Arlington, Virginia 22209

Online_Linkage: <http://biology.usgs.gov/npsveg/aa/index.html>

Spatial_Data_Organization_Information:

Direct_Spatial_Reference_Method: Point

Spatial_Reference_Information:

Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition:

Planar:

Grid_Coordinate_System:

Grid_Coordinate_System_Name: Universal Transverse Mercator

Universal_Transverse_Mercator:

UTM_Zone_Number: 13

Transverse_Mercator:

Longitude_of_Central_Meridian: -105

Latitude_of_Projection_Origin: 0

False_Easting: 500000

False_Northing: 0

Scale_Factor_at_Central_Meridian: .9996

Planar_Coordinate_Information:

Planar_Coordinate_Encoding_Method: coordinate pair

Coordinate_Representation:

Abscissa_Resolution: 1

Ordinate_Resolution: 1

Planar_Distance_Units: meters

Geodetic_Model:

Horizontal_Datum_Name: North American Datum of 1983

Ellipsoid_Name: Geodedic Reference System 80

Semi-major_Axis: 6378137

Denominator_of_Flattening_Ratio: 298.257

Entity_and_Attribute_Information:

Overview_Description:

Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:

Information collected for Accuracy Assessment included:

Plot Number Park Code Date Observer(s) Datum Accuracy UTM Coordinates: Easting Northing UTM Zone 9. Offset from Point: Easting (in meters) Northing (in meters) Topographic Description Elevation Aspect Veg Assoc. at Site Veg Assoc. 2 within 50m of Site Veg Assoc. 3 within 50m of Site Major Species Present (by strata) Canopy Closure of Top Layer Rationale for Classification Comments

Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation:

See:

Accuracy Assessment Field Form: <http://biology.usgs.gov/npsveg/badl/badlrpt.pdf#appendix11>

Total area (meters 2 / 4046.9 acres/m 2 / 2.471 acres/hectare) and number of polygons per mapping unit. <http://biology.usgs.gov/npsveg/badl/badlrpt.pdf#table5>

Summary of AA Results for Badlands National Park, by map class. <http://biology.usgs.gov/npsveg/badl/badlrpt.pdf#table6>

Contingency table (error matrix) for BADL vegetation mapping accuracy assessment. <http://biology.usgs.gov/npsveg/ftp/vegmapping/badl/aa_matrix.xls>

The map codes as described in Appendix 14: <http://biology.usgs.gov/npsveg/badl/badlrpt.pdf#appendix14>

Distribution_Information:

Distributor:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Person_Primary:

Contact_Person: USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program Coordinator

Contact_Organization: Center for Biological Informatics, USGS-BRD

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: Mailing Address

Address: PO Box 25046, MS-302

City: Denver

State_or_Province: Colorado

Postal_Code: 80225

Contact_Voice_Telephone: (303) 202-4220

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 303-202-4229

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 303-202-4219 (org)

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: gs-b-npsveg@usgs.gov

Resource_Description: Badlands National Accuracy Assessment Data

Distribution_Liability:

The U.S. Geological Survey and the National Park Service shall not be held liable for improper or incorrect use of the data described and/or contained herein. These data and related graphics (if available) are not legal documents and are not intended to be used as such.

The information contained in these data is dynamic and may change over time. The data are not better than the original sources from which they were derived. It is the responsibility of the data user to use the data appropriately and consistent within the limitations of geospatial data in general and these data in particular. Any related graphics (if available) are intended to aid the data user in acquiring relevant data; it is not approriate to use the related graphics as data.

The U.S. Geological Survey and the National Park Service gives no warranty, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of these data. It is strongly recommended that these data are directly acquired from an U.S. Geological Survey and National Park Service servers and not indirectly through other sources which may have changed the data in some way. Although these data have been processed successfully on a computer system at the U.S. Geological Survey, no warranty expressed or implied is made regarding the utility of the data on another system or for general or scientific purposes, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty. This disclaimer applies both to individual use of the data and aggregate use with other data. It is also strongly recommended that careful attention be paid to the contents of the metadata file associated with these data. Mention of trade names or commercial products in this metadata report does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the U. S. Department of the Interior, U. S. Geological Survey and National Park Service.

Standard_Order_Process:

Digital_Form:

Digital_Transfer_Information:

Format_Name: HTML

Digital_Transfer_Option:

Online_Option:

Computer_Contact_Information:

Network_Address:

Network_Resource_Name:

<http://biology.usgs.gov/npsveg/badl/index.html>

Fees: None

Metadata_Reference_Information:

Metadata_Date: 200111

Metadata_Review_Date: 20080506

Metadata_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Organization_Primary:

Contact_Organization: USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program Coordinator

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: mailing and physical address

Address:

U.S. Geological Survey, Center for Biological Informatics, MS 302,
Room 8000, Building 810, Denver Federal Center

City: Denver

State_or_Province: Colorado

Postal_Code: 80225

Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: (303) 202-4220

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: (303) 202-4219

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: gs-b-npsveg@usgs.gov

Metadata_Standard_Name:

FGDC-STD-001.1-1999 Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata, 1998 Part 1: Biological Data Profile, 1999

Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998

Metadata_Extensions:

Online_Linkage:

<http://metadata.nbii.gov/portal/community/Communities/Toolkit/Metadata/FGDC_Metadata/>

Profile_Name: Biological Data Profile FGDC-STD-001.1-1999